


Charles: Lessons in Civility

by DresdenHaskell



Series: Contingent Events [7]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Vampires, Villains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:08:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22589179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DresdenHaskell/pseuds/DresdenHaskell
Summary: A vampire has a discussion with a colleague about a broken oath.IE, a literal blood-sucking old lawyer takes umbrage with an upstart whippersnapper wizard who tries to get away with a breach of contract.Violence ensues.
Series: Contingent Events [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1404748





	Charles: Lessons in Civility

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the shared backstory of Van and Charles, in the timeline variants where Van never became a vampire herself. Charles finds other uses for her instead.
> 
> TW for references made to off-screen, prior sexual assault, and for the depiction of a non-sexual assault. No gore or death. Mostly just villainous dialogue.

The young man with short, black hair and a tailored navy suit stepped into Charles’s home office. The young man’s handsome but marred face still stung.

He shut the door behind him, leaving them alone in the cozy space, one of mahogany and oak, of books on law and economics in different languages, of a cabinet full of contracts and deeds.

The not-so-young man waiting there rested his chin on one hand, his other hand resting on a manila folder from said cabinet. One finger tapped, then pushed it out to the edge of the desk.

“I’m glad you could make it, Maxwell,” Charles said. “Have a seat.”

A ridiculous thing to say. Charles knew damn well Max’s schedule was already clear today, that he was in town for the weekend, and that he wouldn’t have refused the summons regardless. Max knew Charles respected punctuality, loyalty, and… a willingness to abide by one’s agreed-upon terms.

“Look, Charles, she -”

“Sit.”

Max hesitated, pride fighting sense. The vampire looked up at him behind round spectacles, blue eyes unblinking, freckled face calm, static. That finger tapped again.

Max sat. “Charles…”

“We had an agreement,” Charles interrupted, softly. He always spoke softly, even in anger. Was he angry now? Max couldn’t quite tell.

A pause, and Charles continued. “The terms were quite specific. I find it hard to believe you found them so hard to follow. Do tell me why I had to console her this morning, in a state of grief I hadn’t seen since her grandfather passed away.”

“Oh, come on.”

“You hurt her, Maxwell.”

Max narrowed his eyes, pointing to the scratches on his face. “The bitch started -”

“Language.”

“Seriously? No one is here. You’re going to carry on that fake gentleman act?” Max snorted.

“What is the difference between what you are, and everything that you do? That was rhetorical, don’t answer that. Now, our terms were exceedingly clear. These provisions, these guarantees you made were the only reason she ever agreed in the first place. You’ve jeopardized quite a bit now. The deal, her trust in you, her trust in me, her mental state overall.”

“She started it. Like I said.”

“How childish. Of you.” Charles raised a white brow. “Let’s hear your take on events, hm?”

“She lost her mind. She attacked me.”

“One’s nerves do not always survive the step from backstage to on-stage. From what she’s told me, that is the case here. Perhaps if you’d backed off, given her space and the time to process everything. You know her habit of fight-or-flight. I’d say the circumstances were understandable.”

“That she can’t trust me after all these years?” Max sneered. “If she just hadn’t – Things were going fine. And then they weren’t. Is she getting off the hook? Am I the only one in trouble, here?”

“She’s my responsibility, as my ward. You are vastly more capable of taking care of yourself. On that note, why haven’t you gotten that healed?” Charles said.

“I don’t want to explain it to a healer.”

“Then don’t,” Charles said. “I’ll cover it. You’re not coming here again looking like that.”

“Oh, I’m coming back?” Max said sardonically.

“If she agrees. After this chat you’ll be free to leave town for now. I’ll give her a month, at minimum. Maybe longer. We may seek someone else. Or alternate methods.”

“You really have the feudal matchmaker mindset down, don’t you? Didn’t she have a boyfriend already?”

“His family’s medical history concerns me. I made the mistake of allowing a disconcertingly sick citizen into the bloodline once already. She died as a result, and her child would have followed in too short a time if not for the blessings of your goddess pulling her from the maw of the grave.” Charles sighed lightly. “Let’s not repeat the pains of the past, hm?”

“I still can’t tell if you actually care about these people or not.”

“I take care of them, and make their interests my interests, and their well-being my duty to maintain. Arguments have long been made that love means more when expressed in action, not resting quietly unseen inside one’s heart.”

“What a way to not answer the question.”

“You’ll have to actually ask one next time, Maxwell. And I’ve seen enough wasted declarations of ‘love’ from this family alone in just the past two generations. Addictions to affection, with aversions to responsibility. It hasn’t done her any good.”

“Right. So you mantle all the responsibility with none of the affection. How many times were you married, again?”

“Oh, as many times as required,” Charles said dryly.

“Let’s be honest, then, and admit you’re happy they never became immortal too, since you see marriage as a loveless duty to your family. You’re all about the 'love is doing’ line - I’ve seen you in court - but I’ll hazard a guess that you rather avoided the doing part yourself. Ever lose your nerve on that stage, too, Chuck?”

Charles’s head inclined just a fraction as his crystalline eyes bored without blinking into Max again. His expression hadn’t changed, still, but the return of its unwavering focus, and the noticeable, complete stillness of the vampire’s body otherwise, clued Max in that he had hit a nerve there. Good. It pleased him to annoy the smug old asshole. Some things should have been left in the Dark Ages, even if they were useful to have around.

“Right,” Max said, smirking. “So, are you just gay, or were –”

“Cute, but do you really think this show of intentional aggravation is worth it? Yes, I keep my life free of romance these days. I, however, have no outstanding agreements to pursue such things at this time.” Charles set his open, up-turned palm out on the desk. “Your wrist. I think I’ve made my point. And you’ve at least spat in the direction of one.”

Max considered making more snide comments, but inwardly agreed it wasn’t worth it. He offered his wrist to the vampire.

Charles yanked his arm so hard Max was jerked up from his chair and slammed nose-first into the desk. Before the young man could react beyond surprised cursing, his arm was twisted around behind and pressed painfully into his back. He could feel his shoulder straining, close to popping out of socket. He free hand flailed and tried to push the vampire away, to no avail. It was like pushing stone.

Charles, standing now, his face still calm and cold, took hold of Max’s hair with the other hand and pressed the young man’s face even harder into the wooden surface.

“Fhug– lebbe go–!”

“I might kill you, actually,” Charles said, very quietly. “It doesn’t please me to do this, Maxwell. You know I am a man of my word, don’t you?”

“Leh–go–”

“Mm. Is that what she said, as well? Only more terrified, I suspect. She agreed to that deal with a certain amount of trust between you two. She was under the apparently mistaken impression no harm would come to her. Were you under this impression coming into my office today?”

Max’s blood ran cold. He didn’t know what Charles planned now. He didn’t like not knowing. He tried to call on his magic to defend himself, but the wards he himself had set left him defenseless.

Charles leaned down to look Max in the eye, frowning with cold disapproval. “What do you think I’m willing to do, now, Maxwell?”

Max uttered apologies as a last resort.

“Mm. Second stage already, are we? What loss are you intending to grieve today? You don’t know. Because until this exact moment, our relationship was predicated on a mutual understanding that we would respect one another’s wishes. To exercise civility. I do business only with the trustworthy, Maxwell. And you… you thought to act with impunity against one under my protection. This is not trustworthy behavior,” Charles said, allowing his voice to become sharper, colder. “And now here we are. With you wondering if you can trust me to release you, and not do one or several terrible things to you in retribution.”

Max stayed quiet, stopped struggling, keeping still. It hurt less this way. He was the rabbit pinned beneath the wolf’s paw, fogging up the mahogany with rapid, panicked breaths.

Charles held him like this for what felt an eternity, before the grip relinquished. Max fell back from the desk and stumbled to his feet, flexing his arm, finger-combing his hair back in place.

The vampire smiled up at him and straightened out the papers which had gone askew. “I do hope you’ve gleaned something from this learning opportunity, yes?”

“I-I – yeah. Yes. I’m… My apologies. It won’t happen again. I won’t hurt her again.”

“Yes. I know you won’t. I shall pass along your apology to her, in due time.” Charles walked around the desk. “Now, let’s have that wrist for real this time.”


End file.
